Upcoming
Shows
2008
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt
Mohan Veena
6:30 p.m.
April 27, 2008
Kailash Mittal Theatre
Carleton University
Creator of the
MOHAN VEENA and Grammy award winner Vishwa Mohan has mesmerized the world with
his pristine pure, delicate yet fiery music. It is due to Vishwa's maiden mega
effort that he rechristened guitar as MOHAN VEENA, his genius creation and has
established it at the top most level in the mainstream of Indian Classical Music
scenario, thereby proving the essence of his name VISHWA (meaning the world) and
MOHAN (meaning charmer) and indeed , a world charmer he is.
Being the foremost
disciple of Pt. Ravi Shankar, Vishwa Mohan belongs to that elite body of
musicians which traces its origin to the Moughal emperor Akbar's court musician
TANSEN and his guru the Hindu Mystic Swami Haridas.
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt
has attracted international attention by his successful indianisation of the
western Hawaiian guitar with his perfect assimilation of sitar, sarod &
veena techniques, by giving it a evolutionary design & shape and by adding
14 more strings helping him to establish the instrument MOHAN VEENA to
unbelievable heights. With blinding speed and faultless legato, Bhatt is
undoubtedly one of the most expressive, versatile and greatest slide player s in
the world.
A powerhouse
performer, Vishwa's electrifying performances have captivated audiences
worldwide. Vishwa Mohan has become a cultural ambassador of India, carrying the
Herculean task of glorifying and popularizing Indian culture and music
throughout the world.
Rajan and Sajan Mishra
Vocal
7:30 p.m.
September 26, 2008
Orleans Theatre
255 Centrum Boulevard
Pandits
Rajan and Sajan Mishra are two of the most beloved and highly regarded vocalists
in India. They are perhaps the most successful Hindustani vocal duo of our time.
They are also the foremost exponents of Benaras Vocal Gharana. Both
brothers were trained in vocal music under the able guidance of their father,
Pandit Hanuman Mishra. Later they were trained by the famous sarangi player Pt.
Gopal Prasad Mishra and Pt. Bade Ramdas Mishra. Pandits Rajan and Sajan Mishra
have well cultivated voices as well as immaculate co-ordination and
understanding. In an art form where improvisation is very important, it is
imperative to be able to guess where the other person is going next when singing
together, something which the brothers do very well.
The Mishra brothers have opened Gurukuls in Benaras and
Dehradun, where students are trained in the classical tradition of guru-shishya
parampara. Sons of Rajan Mishra, Ritesh and Rajnish Mishra are the primary
disciples of the Mishra brothers and are keeping the family tradition going. In
1979 they received the coveted Sanskrit Award for musical excellence from the
Prime Minister of India, Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 1998 and the honorary
citizenship for the city of Baltimore, USA.
To hear samples of their music, click
here
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Kushal Das
Sitar
6:00 p.m.
October 26, 2008
Orleans Theatre
255 Centrum Boulevard
Kushal Das was born to a highly enriched musical family
of Calcutta. His grandfather Late Bimal Ch. Das was a renowned Esraj player
while his father Shri Sailen Das and uncle Sri Santanu Das are sitarists of high
repute. He started his talim from the age of seven. He received intensive and
rigorous training in advanced sitar techniques and the art of music making under
the guidance of Prof. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay, the renowned sitar maestro. He has
also had the privilege of having learnt from great musicians like Pt. Manas
Chakraborty, Pt. Ramkrishna Basu and the late Pt. Ajoy Sinha Roy.
With a profound knowledge of musical understanding and raga improvisation Mr.
Das is now considered as one of the foremost torchbearers of the tradition of
Indian classical Instrumental Music. The critics and connoisseurs have
acknowledged him as a worthy successor of his idol, the legendary maestro Late
Pandit Nikhil Bandyopadhyay. His concerts are always marked for their aesthetic
appeal and insight with a fine command of technical expertise. An "A"
grade musician of All India Radio and Television, he is a recipient of Sangeet
Visharad from Pracheen Kala Kendra of Chandigarh and Sur-Mani form Sur Singar
Samsad of Mumbai.
Mr. Das has participated in most of the major music festivals in India,
including Tansen Music Conference, Dover Lane Music Conference, ITC Sangeet
Sammelan & Mini Sangeet Sammelans, State Music Academy Annual Conference,
Saltlake Music Conference, All India Radio concerts, to name a few. His tours
abroad have covered Germany, France, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Italy, while
his recent tour to Holland, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Bangladesh was
marked with considerable success and appreciation. Kushal Das performed for
Ottawa audiences most recently in 2006 through the Hindustani Sangeet Mandal.
To hear a sample of his music, click
here